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San Diego Comic Con tickets went on sale this morning, and proceeded to sell out in about an hour. This news isn’t really shocking, as this has been the trend for what has become the biggest and most well known comic convention in the world. This is for good reason, as SDCC is an absolute blast to attend. It can be pretty annoying though, as there are many fans who would love to attend a big convention but simply can’t get their hands on tickets. Luckily, while SDCC is the biggest, it’s not the only convention to check out this summer. In fact, there is a large convention being held in Colorado for its inaugural year. Here are some reasons why you should check out Denver Comic Con and help it grow.

Disclaimer: I’m Super Biased

First off, I have to say that I am super biased in wanting Denver Comic Con to succeed. I personally know many of the people who are putting the show together, along with a fair amount of the exhibitors that will be there because I live in Colorado. I would like nothing more than a large and successful convention to happen in a place where I can easily get to without needing to splurge on airfare or a hotel because I am a selfish person.

Tickets Are Still Available

The biggest reason to check out this convention is because you still can. Because Denver Comic Con is in its first year, it doesn’t have the sort of publicity that the established conventions have. As a result, not everybody has been online buying up every ticket within minutes of them going on sale. In fact, you can click on this link right now to purchase some tickets. An added bonus is that tickets to a fledgling convention such as Denver Comic Con are much cheaper than those to other conventions. A 3 day pass to Denver Comic Con costs about as much as a one day pass to SDCC, leaving you with enough money to buy food, collectibles, and other essential items.

Fewer Crowds

Denver Comic Con will not get nearly the sort of crowd that San Diego Comic Con, no matter how well things go this year. This is actually a good thing for those who choose to go, as you won’t be pressed in a throng of sweaty masses all day. There will also be less time spent in lines circling around the entire convention center. Basically, you will have more time to actually do stuff, such as meet with comic creators, attend panels, or just wander around and see what there is to see. This should also provide a more relaxed environment for fans, as there won’t be 10,000 people trying to get into the same panel or waiting in line for 2 hours to catch a glimpse of some celebrity for 30 seconds.

Actually Talk to Established Comic Creators

I personally think this is the biggest bonus from not having huge crowds is the chance to actually have conversations with the people who create the comics we enjoy so much. I have attended some smaller conventions, and every time my favorite memories have involved having long discussions with comic creators. It is just very hard for that to happen when there are huge autograph lines. Denver Comic Con certainly won’t have the star power of SDCC, but there are still some confirmed guests that should draw a crowd such as Jason Aaaron, Gail Simone, and Amy Reeder.

Help Shape a Convention

Like I said, this is Denver Comic Con’s first year in existence. This is your chance to get in on the ground floor and help to shape this into something that people want to attend every year. There are going to be problems and miscues at the convention, that goes without saying. Luckily, fans and convention goers can help to nip these problems in the bud and offer suggestions to the people who are running the show. They are definitely willing to listen to advice and (constructive) criticism, because I know for a fact they want to turn Denver Comic Con into a large and respected event. You can also get hands on and volunteer for the convention. I am optimistic that this year will be fun, but we can make it an even better experience for future Denver Comic Con attendees.

One thing you’ll notice when you walk the floor at San Diego Comic Con is the fact that there is a whole lot of cool stuff to look at. With the sheer number of booths around, it is a pretty good strategy for booths to put the coolest stuff they have out on display to catch the interest of passersby. I think it is safe to say that my interest was caught so much I’m pretty sure I got whiplash. Here are some of the coolest things I saw while wandering the floor of SDCC 2011.

Costumes from The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is arguably the greatest comic book movie of all time. What makes it so awesome is how Christopher Nolan has made a world around Batman that is grounded in realism. When we see Batman on screen we don’t think of a buff dude in his pajamas or anything ridiculous like that. Seeing the actual Batman costume on display at SDCC was equally awesome. It was the kind of thing that made me want to put it on and go out and fight crime. The greatness didn’t stop there, though. Right next to the Batman costume was the outfit the Joker wore in the movie, complete with the clown mask he wore during the bank robbery at the beginning of the movie. I went from wanting to fight crimes to committing them in a very short span of time.

Captain America Costume

I was really pumped up on Captain America during SDCC. There were early showings of Captain America: The First Avenger all day that Thursday, which I had to go to, and just so much promotion for Cap. Marvel was even giving out little hand fans that were printed like Captain America’s shield. The coolest piece of Captain America promotion was definitely his costume, which was on display under the guard of various S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. I was kind of hoping that some Nazis would show up so I could put on the costume and give them a good old fashioned American but-whooping, but that’s mostly because I have an overactive imagination.

Mike Mignola

There was one point during my SDCC experience that I did a double take. That was walking by Mike Mignola’s booth, which was tucked out of the way in a corner of the convention center. I had to a double take to make sure I read the name right, since nobody was over by his booth. This was very surprising to me, since Mike Mignola is the creator of Hellboy. Hellboy, as you may know, has been turned into two full length feature films, and a variety of animated movies, not to mention the popular comic book line, so I was pretty surprised that there wasn’t a line of people waiting to meet Mignola. He was very nice, but I guess his awesomeness was just too intimidating for most people.

Ghost Rider’s Motorcycle

Why yes, I do agree that the first Ghost Rider movie was pretty terrible. Nicolas Cage might be a huge comic fan, which I like, but I still don’t think he should be Ghost Rider. The fact that he will be back for a second Ghost Rider movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, really doesn’t do much for me. Seeing Ghost Rider’s motorcycle has pretty much the exact opposite effect than the movies on me, though, so I was pumped to see it on the floor. The only way it could’ve been cooler was if it was on fire, but I heard the fire marshall wouldn’t have been too happy about that.

Lego Batman

I am always amazed when I see these large Lego structures, mainly because the most complicated thing I ever built was a tiny little space shuttle with a little car that could come out of it. These people building giant castles and Death Stars have far more patience than I ever did. One of the coolest giant Lego sculptures that I have ever seen was on display at SDCC 2011; a life-size Batman posing majestically on a gargoyle. The time and effort that must go into planning and building something of that scale must be tremendous, but that result is definitely worth it. Maybe next year I can build myself a costume entirely out of Legos.

As a guy who loves comics and whose job involves being on the internet most of the day, it will come as no surprise that I am a fan of many webcomics. There are various webcomics that I feel the need to check on every single day, even if it means putting off a little bit of work. One of the things I was most excited about at SDCC 2011 was getting to meet some of the guys who help me procrastinate all the time. Here are some of the webcomic artists/writers that I met at SDCC 2011.

Stan Yan – Subculture

Stan Yan is actually a friend of mine, so I of course had to stop by his booth at SDCC. He is also a very talented comics creator, both as a writer and an artist. I am a big fan of the webcomic he illustrates, Subculture, which he works on with writer Kevin Freeman. Basically it is a comic about nerds being nerds, and it is hilarious. Stan likes to add little pop culture references into a lot of his illustrations as well, so it is always fun to look for those. The sketch of the Subculture character Arthur dressed as Spock Stan did for me never ceases to amuse me.

Jeph Jacques – Questionable Content

Questionable Content has built up a huge following over the years, making Jeph Jacques the most popular guy I saw in the webcomics section of SDCC 2011. While most other webcomic booths had crowds ranging from one to five people at a time, Jeph Jacques had a line of people weaving through the aisles waiting to meet him. Sure, it wasn’t anywhere near as long as a panel line, but it was impressive nonetheless. The chatter in the line was all excitement about what Questionable Content character they wanted Jeph to sketch. I went with Pintsize because butt jokes are funny.

Chris Hastings – Dr. McNinja

Dr. McNinja is one of my favorite comics of all time. In fact, I even dressed up as a Dr. McNinja character for a day at SDCC. I looked very handsome as Gordito Delgado. Chris Hastings, the creator/writer/illustrator of Dr. McNinja, was super nice to everybody who came by, and did personalized sketches inside all of the Dr. McNinja books when people bought them.  I actually thought there would be a bigger crowd around him since he is also doing some work for Marvel, namely writing the Fear Itself: Deadpool title. Luckily that left him time to become best friends with me as evidenced by the picture below.

Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza – Least I Could Do, Looking For Group, The Gutters

Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza are two of the most prolific webcomic creators in the world. They do great work consistently, with Sohmer Writing and deSouza doing the art. All three webcomics that they work on, Least I Could Do, Looking For Group, and The Gutters, manage to remain consistently funny despite the fact these guys always seem to be working on a million projects at once. The gigantic stash of Red Bull behind their booth could probably explain that, though. I find The Gutters especially entertaining, as it pokes fun at the world of more mainstream comics in very clever ways, while making it clear that the creators are most assuredly comic book fans.

Visiting the vendor booths at San Diego Comic Con is a great way to spend the day. A lot of companies produce exclusive content just for this event, others bring in special guests to draw a crowd, and others will promise big announcements and giveaways. Sideshow Collectibles grabbed my interest in a different way. Their booth was surrounded by their statues, ranging from large to gigantic, and all masterfully made. If I was super rich, I would have bought every single one of them. Check out the video I took of some of them below.

I really liked the prototype Wolverine statue and the WWII Captain America they had on display. Thor had an…interesting face. This was one booth I spent a lot of time at, just walking back and forth looking at all the sculptures. They are all works of art. Maybe next year I’ll be able to get one.

I need this Galactus.

This past weekend I attended the world famous San Diego Comic Con with fellow Hero District writer Billy. While I am a big comic book fan, I had never made it out to this convention before, so I really wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from it other than a great time. Here are some things that I learned while attending SDCC 2011.

Conflu is Real

I actually meant to write articles about San Diego Comic Con all week. Judging by the fact it is Thursday and this is the first SDCC article, you can see that this didn’t happen, and it is all because of conflu. Conflu is what happens when you pack over 100,000 filthy nerd folk inside a convention center for around 12 hours a day. There are a lot of germs floating around and it is not uncommon for people to get sick after the convention. I mean, I saw a baby’s diaper being changed in the middle small press section. Basically what I’m saying is remember to bring some Purell to Comic Con.

Show Up Early

That is all one line. Actually, part of one line. 

SDCC has gotten so popular that you have to show up early for absolutely everything. This goes for registration for badges, hotel rooms, getting in the door, going to panels, everything. One panel I really wanted to attend this year was the Adventure Time panel. To make sure I got in, I stood in line about 3 hours before that panel started. I got into the panel room pretty quickly and had to sit through a terrible panel on why middle aged women want to make love to vampires. It’s a good thing I went early though, as everybody else at that panel was also waiting for the Adventure Time panel to start, so the 600 people or so waiting in line outside the door were out of luck.

You Never Have Enough Money

There is a ridiculous amount of cool stuff to buy at SDCC. There are action figures, comics, clothes, accessories, and comics that are just begging you to buy them. If you’re really into spending the big bucks, there are also original art pieces and giant statues. The thing is, everything is really expensive at SDCC. That goes for everything from the hotel rooms to trying to find a decent meal. My suggestion for most people is to start saving up now for next year’s SDCC. I know I am.

Convention Exclusives are Hard to Get

There were a couple convention exclusives that I really wanted to get this year. I figured I’d probably have to show up early to get them, but it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Boy, was I wrong. Those things sell out fast. Also I am convinced that some of the people who attend comic con are wizards, as there was a day when I was at the front of the line to enter the convention center when the doors opened, yet there was a line of hundreds of people in front of me when I power walked over to one of the vendor booths. It is so ridiculous that Hasbro actually made you stand in line in one area to get a ticket that would let you stand in line in another area.

Panels, Panels, and More Panels

I have to say the highlight of my Comic Con experience was attending some of the panels, especially the Adventure Time panel. The panels give a unique insight into pretty much everything you could want to know, plus they usually have some pretty awesome swag to give out. The unpredictability of what’s going to happen at the panels is a lot of fun as well. Matt Groening actually stopped by for an appearance at the Adventure Time panel, which was awesome. Just remember to show up early so you can actually get in.

There is just so much to do at Comic Con, it’s impossible to get it all done. However, I’ve taken the liberty of making a list of the top five things I need to do at SDCC.

5. TV Panels

The Avengers and Batman are sadly missing from Hall H this year. After crying for a few hours, I realized that two of the greatest TV shows of all time will be there. In addition to hits such as Archer and Community, we have the unholy pairing of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones! Both shows are coming off of stellar first seasons that completely kicked ass. I can’t imagine either falling short for season two, since they can both rely on brilliant source material.

Bad news though. The actor playing Prince Joffrey will not be attending, so you won’t have the chance to beat him into sweet oblivion. A damn shame.

4. Deadpool Squirrel!

Comic-Con is renowned for exclusive items, and the winner this year has to be the Deadpool Squirrel. It’s a squirrel…with a Deadpool mask. Some things just make sense in life. Supplies are very limited, so get in line early to grab yours! Wait, why am I telling people about this?

3. Captain America early showing, with Chris Evans!

What’s better than a midnight showing? Seeing the movie a day early with an introduction from Captain America himself! I’ll finally be able to pitch Chris Evans on all my Captain America sequel ideas! Spoiler Alert: the villains are Porcupine and the juggling Death Throws.

2. Find True Love

Is Felicia Day seeing anyone?

1. Punch Out Mark Millar

It’s not that I don’t like his writing. That’s only part of the equation. Oh sure, I hate how he substitutes shock and brutality for storytelling, or that he’s ruined several of my childhood icons. I just can’t stand how pompous and arrogant he is, or how he completely talks out of his ass. You can’t complain about superheroes saturating theaters when you’re trying to develop four more of your own, dick. Quite simply, Mark Millar is my archnemesis and I plan on taking this grudge to the next level.

So that’s the list. If there are any celebrities you want me to beat up, just let me know. If I’m going to jail for punching Mark Millar, what’s a few more years to the sentence? It’s all relative.

If you’re going to Comic-Con, you damn well better bring a costume. Oh sure, you could go out and buy some cheap Spider-Man costume. If that’s your plan, then I will find you. And I will laugh. If you want to be a real fan, you should go as one of these fantastic characters.

5. Grimlock

Make sure to hold your arms like a t-rex.

Grimlock is the most brilliantly stupid creation in Autobot history. For one, he supremely violates the whole “robots in disguise” thing. I would be more shocked at seeing a giant mechanical thunder lizard than I would a normal robot. Not to mention, why did the Autobots program him to have zero intelligence? Why would you give your near omnipotent superweapon the intelligence of Captain Caveman?

Because it’s awesome , that’s why. Someone needs to do a Grimlock costume.  And the kicker? It must transform into a dinosaur. Sounds excessive? Guys, this is Comic-Con. Go big or go home.

4. Fantomex

People’s eyeballs will melt at the sight of this awesome costume.

You might remember a recent article describing the avatar of badassery that is Fantomex. Hero-District has a staunchly Pro-Fantomex agenda, and we plan to promote that agenda every chance we get. Seriously, go as Fantomex. You might even gain enough swagger to snag a fabled booth babe!

3. Darkwing Duck

I am the termite that devours your floorboards.

He is the terror that flaps in the night.  Joining other classic Disney cartoons like Tail Spin and Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck was the reason you wanted to get home to watch afternoon TV. What the hell do kids watch these nowadays anyway? Darkwing’s an icon, so somebody better make this happen. If not? Let’s get dangerous.

2. Harvey Birdman (Attorney at Law)

Just be prepared to be asked for legal advice.

Starting as one of the classic Hanna Barbara superheroes, he then moved on to be a depressed guy on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast before finding his true calling in law.  Even before he became an Attorney, the character was essentially a significantly cooler clone of Hawkman. But as a lawyer? Voiced by the ever-popular Gary Cole? If I don’t see someone in this costume I’m going to sue.

1. Dr. McNinja And Gordito

Or dress as Ben Franklin.

The greatest webcomic of all time, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, has just buckets and buckets of awesomeness in every panel. The character is pretty much exactly what you think he is, and the series is magically ludicrous.  Want raptor-riding banditos? Check. Dracula’s moon base? Check-arooni. Angry tennis playing Aztec temple guardians? CHECK MATE. I can only hope that a pair of handsome, articulate internet writers decide to go this route. What a sight that would be!

Honorable Mentions:

Doc Ock with fully functional arms.

Nipple-suit Batman, because only a real fan can rock that look.

Spider Jerusalem, for completely unhinged rage.

One of the biggest pieces of news surrounding this year’s San Diego Comic Con was the fact Marvel was not planning on having any official presence for their upcoming movies, Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers. With the size and popularity of SDCC, it seems like the perfect time to do some promotion for these movies. It seems like Marvel has decided the same thing, at least if rumors are to be believed.

Rumors, which are always true, say that Marvel is planning on bringing Chris Evans to SDCC. The surprising part is that Chris Evans will not be part of a Captain America panel, but he will be part of an event to honor America’s soldiers. Honoring our soldiers is always a good thing, and the simple fact that Chris Evans will be involved is sure to get the Captain America movie in people’s minds. This is a very shrewd tactical move by Marvel. In addition to the Chris Evans appearance, there are also rumors saying there will be some official screenings of Captain America: The First Avenger at SDCC, which wouldn’t be too surprising since SDCC coincides with the opening weekend for Cap.

Protecting SDCC from flamethrowing Nazis.

As far as The Avengers go, no appearances or panels have been announced. That doesn’t mean that Marvel isn’t going to do their best to promote the hell out of this movie though. Rumor is that Marvel will be having numerous S.H.I.E.L.D. agents wandering the floor at SDCC, promoting the movie through their presence. I really like this idea, mainly because I hope that I will get recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. and meet Nick Fury and hit on Black Widow. I am pretty sure that is going to happen.

She will be mine.

These announcements are interesting for Marvel. By eschewing the traditional means of marketing at SDCC, Marvel has created a lot of talk about their movies by taking their own path. It is interesting that the fact they announced they wouldn’t have a huge marketing campaign for their movies at the convention has created a large amount of publicity for them. Well played, Marvel, well played. Sure, Marvel will definitely be hanging up movie posters and stuff wherever they can, but the different take on marketing seems to have paid off.

I think we can all agree that Marvel has hit it out of the park with their summer movies of 2011. Thor was awesome, as expected, with Tom Hiddleston proving that he is the perfect trickster god, Loki. Somewhat surprisingly, X-Men: First Class was also good. In fact, it could be described as really damn good. I will admit that I have never been a huge fan of Magneto, but I have all kinds of respect for him after seeing Michael Fassbender play the role to perfection. With only one more movie left this summer, will Captain America make it a perfect 3 for 3? Judging by the just released theatrical trailer, yes, Captain America: The First Avenger will keep Marvel’s streak of awesome movies going.

First off, Hugo Weaving has about three seconds of air time as the Red Skull in this trailer and he already looks like the perfect villain. I think it’s the eyebrows. Second, scrawny little Chris Evans/Steve Rogers is an adorable little fellow. Third, it always surprises me just how large he got for this role. Alright, that’s enough numbering for now. We can all agree that things are looking positive for Cap and Marvel, which is good since he is such an iconic character, and we don’t want to pay $15 to be bored by a movie. The wait for Captain America is under a month now, but if you are looking to wait on seeing it until you’ve read a review, HeroDistrict has you covered.

HeroDistrict: The #3 Source for Hot Girls Dressed as Captain America

Captain America: The First Avenger will be premiering July 22nd. You might recognize that date as being right smack in the middle of the San Diego Comic Con, which I will be attending along with fellow handsome HeroDistrict writer, Billy. We will be bringing you updates from SDCC along with a review of Captain America: The First Avenger after the midnight showing and our attempts to pick up booth babes. If there are any parts of SDCC that you would like HeroDistrict to try and cover, let us know in the comments.

Do you like comic books? Well I would hope so, as HeroDistrict is here to keep you up to date on pretty much everything that has to do with comics. Not only will we cover news on comic books, but also on comic book movies, video games, conventions, merchandise, pretty much anything you can think of. We will even have articles with the top ten reasons Ryan Reynolds should get the lead role in every superhero movie ever.

So damn handsome

We here at HeroDistrict know that comic fans are a passionate, vocal, and extremely good looking group. Whether you prefer comics from DC, Marvel, Image, or everything Robert Kirkman has done, there should be something here for you to enjoy. If not, speak up and let us know. Do you disagree with the statement that Ryan Reynolds should play every superhero on the big screen? Let us know your (clearly wrong) argument in the comments section. Or just remind us how awesome we are. That’s cool too.

Lady fans can compliment our manly physiques

Now that introductions are out of the way, let’s get this party started with some required reading. As comic fans, we are passionate about the industry and try to keep up to date on everything that is going on. Sometimes we like what we hear, sometimes we don’t, but The Gutters webcomic is there to make sure we can laugh about it. Satisfy your inner nerd by reading The Gutters tonight. That should keep you occupied until we get some new articles up to let you know who is handsomest superhero in the world, and why everyone should read Bill Willingham’s Fables.